Hunting wild turkeys is the fastest growing type of hunting in North America. The number of turkeys has increased dramatically with conservation and wildlife programs, thereby increasing hunting. Normally, the male turkey, the gobbler, gives a call to attract hens for mating. In hunting, the sequence is reversed and the hunter attempts to lure the gobbler by mimicking hen turkey sounds. The reversal of the normal mating process doesn't always work and the quality of the hunter's calling influences the success of the hunt.
There are four types of turkey calls known in the art. For example, there are “diaphragm” type turkey calls, “box” type turkey calls, “wing bone” turkey calls, and “slate” or “friction” turkey calls.
Diaphragm type turkey calls are operated by blowing across section of the turkey call with the mouth. This type of turkey call has the advantage of requiring no movement of the hands while the turkey is in his final approach. Box type turkey calls produce sound by friction. Wing bone calls are used but are less common.
The slate or “friction” type turkey call is the most commonly used turkey call in the United States. The friction type turkey call, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a striking plate 110 that produces artificial turkey sounds due to contact by and relative movement with a rigid striking rod or striking member 120. Sounds are made by scraping the striking member 120 over the surface of the striking plate 110.
A number of elements can contribute to the sound produced by a friction or slate turkey call. FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of the striking plate 110 of FIG. 1d. The composition of the surface 200, whether slate or ceramic, the material of the striker 120, whether wood or synthetic, and the composition of the pot 210 are all factors that affect the quality and type of sound produced by the turkey call. Further, the pot 210, which is usually made out of wood or plastic, has an internal sounding plate or board 220 that creates a chamber 230 both above and below it. The bottom of the pot usually has holes in it. The composition and type of sounding plate 220, and the quantity and position of the holes in the bottom of the pot 210 are additional factors that affect the quality and type of sound produced by the turkey call.
A user typically holds the pot 210 in one hand (usually the non-dominant hand) 240, and uses the other hand to scrape the striker over the surface 200 of the turkey call device 250, as shown in FIG. 2b. When the surface 200 is scratched, the outer shell (pot 210) of the turkey call 250 vibrates, producing resonance and overtones that improve the quality of the sound and make it more like the sound of the hen turkey. Among the problems encountered with slate or friction turkey calls is that when a user grasps the turkey call 250 tightly, the pitch of the sound goes upwards, causing the sound to be unnatural and does not mimic the sound of the hen turkey. Even the slightest compression of the pot 210 when grasped can affect the quality of the sound of the turkey call. Further, a user can grasp the turkey call differently every time, which makes it difficult for the user of the turkey call to consistently obtain the desired turkey sounds.
There remains, therefore, a need for an improved turkey call, and in particular, an improved turkey call in which the vibrations of the internal sounding board with the sounding chambers resonate freely and in unison with the pot, thus producing a more natural turkey sound that is unaffected by the grasp of the user. The striking plate and the internal sounding board should be able to vibrate freely, where the sound quality of the turkey call is not affected when grasped. There is also a need for an improved turkey call that allows for desired turkey sounds to be produced consistently each time a user scratches the surface of the turkey call device.